The new iPod was announced by Steve Jobs last week at a highly anticipated "special event" in San Jose, California. In the days leading up to the announcement, a number of rumors had circulated about the possibility of iPods with video capabilities being announced as well as some sort of accompanying video store to feed the new devices. Others speculated that a whole other range of devices were in the pipeline, from new G5 desktops to speed bumped PowerBooks. What we got on the 12th was an updated iMac, the aforementioned video iPod, and a video store to accompany the world's most popular online music outlet.

The new iPod lineup

The introduction of this video iPod resulted in a few changes in Apple's offerings as well. Out is the iPod photo and the U2 iPod (which was really just a black and red iPod photo). Apple has effectively reigned in their product lineup right before Christmas, possibly hoping to entice customers with a simple, easy to understand selection with clearly defined price point and feature delineation.

Now we're looking at the low-end Shuffle for true minimalists, the iPod nano for low storage but some of the premium features (photos, color LCD) and the iPod (large storage space, photos, videos).

You've got questions? We've got answers!

A lot of questions were raised by the tech crowd about the new iPod: what types of video would it play? What happened to the iPod photo? Why release a new iPod so soon after the nano? What's the battery life? What does the video output look like on a TV? Are TV shows really watchable on such a tiny screen? Does it scratch as easily as the iPod nano? Those were just a few of the questions I was barraged with when I told people I had gotten my hands on the new iPod, and were more than enough to warrant a discussion on the topic.

I hope to answer as many questions as possible in this article. I'm first going to explain just what exactly is different between these new fifth-generation iPods and their predecessors and then move into how the device performs at its new task, playing video content.

I call this "Studies in iPod Packaging"

The iPod no longer comes in the traditional "cube" packaging, instead coming in a box similar to that of the nano. A thin, black box with photos of the iPod on the front, back, and sides. Inside you'll find the iPod itself and an unfortunate lack of accessories. The model being reviewed is the 30 GB white version and this might be different for the larger, 60GB model. Inside was a software disc and Apple stickers, a USB dock connector cable, a universal dock adapter, headphones, headphone covers, and a thin iPod case.

Noticeably absent are the dock, remote, wall charger, and AV cables which can be purchased individually or bundled with your new iPod at the Apple Store. If you're at all interested in video output, the AV cables are a must-have and can be found for around $20 online or at a retail store.